Not For Bounty
by Byakko Rei
Summary: The Bebop crew wants to end the Neo-Red Dragon's tyranny. It's not for bounty anymore... its personal. Faye/Julia shoujo-ai. R&R first CB fic!
1. Default Chapter

Not For Bounty  
Author- Byakko Rei   
  
Part One :   
Motives  
  
  
Chapter 1   
Desperate Times   
  
The first Hyperspace Gate experiment had blasted a large portion of the Earth's moon off and the sky was shadowed by its debris. The meteorites that fell through the atmosphere rendered the Earth marred and desolate. Most of the survivors had wisely migrated to Mars. Those who stayed were drawn to the communication satellites for information. The Earth, in essence, had become a hacker's Mecca and was a great place to hide out. Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky the 4th was good at both, and right now, her life depended upon it....   
  
The fourteen year old had recently been reunited with her father, Appledelhi, who fondly referred to her as Ed. Her father was kept busy as a map maker due to the constant changes in the Earth's topography from meteoric fallout; consequently Ed was often left to her own devices for long periods of time.   
  
Ed was alone when soldiers bearing Red Dragon insignia invaded and attacked the hacker's underground operations, destroying everything in their wake. She had been scrounging through junk piles for useable electronic parts when she saw them approach her at an alarming speed. With her heart in her throat, she dodged bullets and rough hands until she reached the huge scrap yard near her house.   
  
The petite girl squirmed into a rather enormous heap of junk and quickly lost her larger pursuers. Ed found the narrow entrance that led to the underground tunnels and squeezed through. Scarcely breathing, she watched through a peephole as the soldiers searched for her. Then she heard the order given to abandon their quarry and start torching the houses. Ed's heart leapt in her chest... Ein, her 'data-dog', had stayed home this time. Tears gathered unbidden as Ed watched the Red Dragon soldiers destroy her father's home.   
  
Hours later, Ed made it to their remote bunker and, to her relief, saw Ein sitting expectantly outside the door. The diminutive teen gathered the Welsh Corgi under one arm and pulled the heavy door open.   
  
When Ed heard someone approach the bunker, she holed up inside one of the ration closets to prepare for the worst. She shook in terror as the door opened, then relaxed when she saw that it was her father who stumbled through it and collapse to the floor. Ed quickly clambered out of her hiding spot to put her arms around his bullet riddled torso.   
  
Appledelhi stroked Ed's orange hair gently for a moment or two, then pushed her gently away to gaze into her cat-like golden eyes. "Ed..." he rasped hoarsely, "the old Red Dragon regime has fallen and a new, more evil, order has taken its place. Th-the tracking station was destroyed... I managed to get to the tunnels...."   
  
Ed clutched him closer as his voice got weaker, tears now streaming down her cheeks. "Papa, don't die! Ed just got Papa back!" she plead with childish desperation.   
  
The dying man then spoke again softly, "Call your friends, Ed, and get off of this cursed planet while you can! I... love you... Ed...." Appledelhi's voice trailed off as his heart stilled in his chest.   
  
A 'Gatherer' appeared and Ed stared mutely into eyes that reminded her of dying red embers. Its hideous blackened furry face split into a fanged leer as it stared back at her. It folded her father unceremoniously into its huge bat-like wings... then dematerialized.   
  
Ed screamed, then. She screamed until her throat was raw, and when her voice was lost completely, she shook with silent sobs. When numbness finally filled her soul, she e-mailed the Bebop crew.   
  
  
To be continued.... 


	2. Neo Red Dragon Crime Syndicate

Not For Bounty   
Author- Byakko Rei   
  
  
Chapter 2   
Neo Red Dragon Crime Syndicate   
  
Julia came to consciousness slowly, but didn't open her eyes. She didn't want to draw attention to herself just yet. She became aware that her auditory functions had become almost painfully acute and her skin seemed to crawl with hyper sensitivity. It felt like she was covered with a multitude of tiny suction cups. Her head was bare, with the exception of a tube about 2mm. in diameter that protruded from the centre of her skull, which she could *feel*. Where was she and why wasn't she dead?   
  
The air was pregnant with whispered excitement around her. She heard the words "survivor" and "a chosen one" repeated by beings with breathy voices and lisps that prolonged the 'S' sound. She wasn't able to discern whether the entities referred to her or not with her eyes closed. Julia slowly pushed her senses further to take in the room's ambiance. A lab. Definitely a lab. She heard the whir of centrifuges and the soft clinks of glass test tubes as they were handled and put into wire racks. She smelt the distinct odour of preservative chemicals, a variety of solvents, and... blood.   
  
She concentrated on the quieter conversations further away which obviously belonged to the more competent lab technicians. She caught the terms "mutating virus" and "special modifiers that would enhance the nervous system". They mentioned the necessity for "revivable recipients" and "fresher organs" more often, though.   
  
From what she could tell, they were working on a new experimental drug. If its administration was successful, the lucky recipient would become an extra-sensory-being or ESB... but if it failed, the body would mutate into a soulless Harpichiroptus... more commonly referred to as a 'Gatherer'. There didn't seem to be much of a success rate, she mused wryly.   
  
There were two things she was sure of, though. One, she needed to get out of there intact; and two, she had to tell Spike she was alive before he went out and did something heroically stupid. But before she did either of those things she needed to sleep... she had an excruciating headache.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Julia was awakened by a presence. Her eyes fluttered open to take in a large flat-screened monitor above her gurney. It contrasted monochromatically with the rest of the room's stark whiteness. She turned her head slightly to meet the brown eyes of a thin, diminutive man in a long white lab coat.   
  
The 'visitor' gave the semblance of a smile, then addressed her pleasantly. "Welcome back from the dead... Julia." His smile widened when he noticed an almost imperceptive emotion flit across the young woman's features. "Virtual memory scanners are very helpful research tools," he explained. He leaned forward in an almost intimate gesture and gazed into her face. "Not only can we extract detailed images of all your acquaintances and secrets even you've forgotten about, we can also replace your memories with frighteningly realistic new ones!" His tone was smug.   
  
Julia's muscles corded in her arms as she struggled with her restraints. She knew it would be only a matter of time and concentration before she broke free. She relaxed and calmly asked, "What do you want from me?"   
  
He answered her smoothly. "We want you to bring your friends to us, Pet, but first you need to be indoctrinated."   
  
Julia closed her eyes to remove the smirking man's image from her view, only to find he was still there. A wave of nausea washed over her and she felt bile rise to her throat. She swallowed hard.   
  
The obnoxious voice intruded again. "That's right, Julia, I am a virtual program and you are going to do exactly what I want... or experience neural pain. It isn't though you have anything to live for anymore... your lover, Spike, is dead. Oh, yes we collected him, but the drug we administered failed. Regrettably, the Harpichiropti perish soon after they collect a body. Unlike our Master, it seems their systems can't take the teleportation more than a few times." He grinned evilly then straightened. "As long as we can program the ESBs to carry out our His Eminence's plans, the Gatherer's serve their purpose the way they are!" he concluded maliciously.   
  
Julia forced herself to stay emotionless and thoughtless while the program tried to break her with mind games. From the content of the 'indoctrination', she knew she needed to get out of there and find a way to stop the Red Dragon once and for all. Julia tested her bonds daily, but her recovery was slow due to the lack of nourishment. It would be weeks before her strength returned completely.   
  
When Julia was finally able to brake free of her confines, she ripped the virtual sensors from her temples, heedless of the pain. She then slid off of the gurney and hefted the bed frame over her head to smash the 'tutorial' monitor above her. When the glass and fine dust particles settled, she noticed for the first time small, strategically placed 'black dots' in the walls and ceiling. She fractured each of the minicams' lenses using the metal from her broken sensors.   
  
A high male voice came over an intercom in the ceiling and broke the silence. "You know, Julia, even if you manage to get off of this facility, you will never be able to escape us. If you don't bring your allies to us voluntarily, you will bring us to them. Be a good girl now and let us help you to become the soldier you were meant to be...."   
  
The voice ended abruptly when Julia stood atop her bed and yanked the wires from the speaker. 'So, they put tracers in me!' she acknowledged grimly.   
  
She glanced around the room. The door appeared to be made of steel and electronically activated from the outside. The space where the monitor had been offered a view of metal cable conduits that tracked in the direction of the door... no crawl space. Her only way out was through the thin steeled air ducts. The indigenous Powers That Be probably knew that. She wondered idly if she were being timed.   
  
She rolled the gurney over to where the duct was and stood on it again. She carefully pushed the grill up and noticed that air duct teed off to proceed vertically where the back of her room would be. She slid the grill towards the 'T', pulled her slender body into the duct, then headed inch by silent inch in the opposite direction. Julia stole a peek at what appeared to be a control room through the next vent.   
  
A thin, tallish man sat behind his desk and stared in panic at the bank of blank monitors which should have shown various camera views of her room in a state of disaster. His fingers flew over his computer keyboard and every few minutes the clean-shaven face would glance nervously up at the duct. He grunted in satisfaction when his monitors flickered, then brought up images from a few hours ago with real-time displayed in the corners. Clever man. She almost laughed when a knock at his door startled him. His head jerked up, slightly displacing his black toupee. It was a security guard who noted 'all was well'.   
  
When the door shut, Julia chose that moment to slide through the hole where the grate had just been. The scientist swivelled his chair around to gape at the nude woman before him. His face slowly suffused into a bright red. No doubt the indigent lecher had done his share of fantasizing while monitoring her helpless body on the gurney. When he reached for a button under his desk, Julia stilled his hand.   
  
"I wouldn't do that, Mr. Evidence Hider," she admonished. "Let me introduce myself." She put her hand congenially on his trembling shoulder. "I'm Baldy Locks, but you can call me... Mr. Russell!" she informed him. "Nighty-night!" she whispered.   
  
The man's eyes went wide for a second, then rolled back into his skull as she pinched a nerve in his neck. He crumpled to the floor and lay still.   
  
Julia donned Mr. Russell's white button-down shirt, two piece grey suit, blue tie, and black shoes. She quickly located a dust pan and a small sweeper, then put them into a new garbage bag. She hoisted her replacement up into the air duct, grabbed her bag, and proceeded to shove the inert man into her private programming room. She cleaned up her mess then lay her decoy upon the gurney. She doffed his hairpiece and put it on, then lobbed the garbage bag through the air duct hole towards the 'T'. Julia clamped onto the duct-lip with both hands, then kicked the gurney away so that it rolled to a rest beneath the hole in the ceiling. She drew herself into the duct and grinned as she put the grate back in its place for the last time. 'Mr. Russell' straightened his hair and put on his long white lab coat, then resumed his 'vigil'.   
  
Julia found the 'ESB' program with little trouble. Most of the multiple level security codes had been breached by the paranoid worker. She discovered she had a tracer near her heart and one in her brain. She downloaded the whole ESB program and the building blueprints onto a microdisc then set up a computer virus that would corrupt files as soon as a security code was entered. She chuckled, "That should keep them preoccupied for a while!" She smiled tightly and nodded at the next shift's change of guards outside Mr. Russell's door. "Head run... I'll be right back!" she lied smoothly.   
  
She rounded the corner and headed for an empty lab to remove her microchips. She had to hurry, the night staff was due to arrive in twenty minutes. She flipped on the equipment monitor, then gritted her teeth against the pain as she inserted a long, sterilized, metal tube about 3mm. in diameter into her chest, using the monitor to guide her. She carefully removed the bloody chip with micro-grabbers and repeated the process through the pre-drilled hole she found in her skull. Finished, she went back to her 'job' and awaited her relief.   
  
When Ms. Tempi arrived, Julia knocked the woman out before she could give her deception away. Julia placed the limp body into the computer chair and stuck the tracers gently down the woman's throat. She cheerfully left the compound wearing Mr. Russell's black short-brimmed hat and his long black leather coat.   
  
  
To be continued.... 


	3. An Old Aquaintance

Not For Bounty   
Author- Byakko Rei   
  
  
Chapter 3  
An Old Acquaintance   
  
Faye was a solitary figure at the counter of the Red Dog Bar. She sipped her house brand beer and occasionally took a drag from her slim cigar. She could easily see the entrance from the mirror behind the bar and watched as the regulars trickled in after work. She and Spike used to come here together... but that was over now. She took another draught of her drink, then reached into her shirt pocket for some woolongs. As she proffered the money to the bartender her eyes caught the arrival of a striking stranger who toted a black leather attaché case.   
  
The slender, dark-haired man hesitated slightly, then made his way over to *her*. Faye's heart sped up slightly from his scrutiny of her and she felt a curious twinge in her loins. Her cheeks warmed as he approached. There was something oddly familiar about his sapphire blue eyes and she was drawn helplessly into their mystery. She was suddenly reminded of something she had overheard Spike tell Jet on the Bebop after Julia died and before he went after Vicious.   
  
Jet had asked Spike why he had been smitten by only one woman. Spike had replied that Julia had been an enigma with gorgeous blonde hair and long shapely legs. He had drowned every time he looked into the dark blue pools of her eyes and walked away thirsty. He had seen her seductively enrapture enemies with her charm, get what information she wanted from them, then slit their throats in cold blood. He had loved Julia because she was the only woman that had ever made him feel *alive*. Being with her meant being a part of certain danger... and he had found it exhilarating!   
  
Faye wondered why she had been reminded of that, until she noticed how truly arresting this gentleman's eyes were. Her breath caught; this 'man' was Julia. Her anger quickly rose to a boil at the gall of the woman. How *dare* she show up now after Spike's death! Her fingers tightened around the handle of her mug as she lowered her gaze to the amber liquid.   
  
"Spike said you died in his arms," Faye stated abruptly.   
  
"Hello, Faye, mind if I join you?" the dark-haired man greeted casually, ignoring the outburst.   
  
"It's a free place... sit where you want to," Faye replied coolly from behind a fog of sweet cigar smoke, "I'm leaving."   
  
Julia addressed the bartender as she eased onto a barstool next to Faye's. "I'll have what my friend here is drinking, please." Julia laid her briefcase down onto the countertop and took a long drink before she spoke quietly to the fuming woman next to her again, "We need to talk."   
  
"We have nothing to talk about, Julia," Faye replied coldly as she stood to leave.   
  
"I miss Spike, too," Julia responded intuitively to Faye's back. "When I woke up in a lab, the only thing I wanted to do was go stop Spike from going after Vicious and the Red Dragon." She drew in a measured breath, "But I was, apparently, about three months too late. Whoever is in charge now cruelly tried to use Spike's death to lure me into their brainwashing program." Julia's information was met with silent indifference initially, then Faye turned around to face her.   
  
"At least Spike knew you loved him before you died," Faye began harshly as she regarded the disguised blonde. "You know, Julia, he was devastated after that... it was as if his whole purpose for *being* was gone. He never saw past you... and I never told him that I... how I truly felt about him before he died."   
  
"I'm sure Spike knew that you cared for him," Julia assured her. She took a few sips from her beer then spoke carefully, "You know Faye, you and I are not so different. Neither of us asked to be revived from certain death. That we live while others we loved have perished may never seem fair. But since we have been given another chance at life, I think we ought to try and make something meaningful of it...." Julia paused while taking another sip from her mug.   
  
Faye began to process Julia's existence and wondered if it were still possible for Spike to be alive, too. So instead of decking the woman, she sat back down. "I'm listening," she snapped impatiently.   
  
"Faye, I'm alive right now because of an experimental virus strain developed by the Red Dragon. Their goal is to create a race of super beings that can be controlled to do their bidding. The Gatherers are the result of experiment failure. I don't know for sure who is alive or dead, but I do know that I managed to escape and the Red Dragon must be stopped." Julia took another sip of her brew and continued to look at the mug as she set it down. "I need the Bebop's resources and a pilot of your caliber, Faye. I can pay well... are you interested?"   
  
Faye glanced over at the woman's profile. Delicate, yet strong. Sensitive, yet guarded. Calm, and despite the short black toupee... beautiful. Faye turned away from her. "Nope. I have a previous engagement. A friend of mine is in trouble and needs the Bebop's help. Sorry." Faye downed the rest of her brew, faintly surprised at the genuine look of disappointment that briefly crossed Julia's face. As she rose to leave again, she felt a soft restraining touch on her forearm. Faye moved it away as though she had been scorched.   
  
"Faye, if you can set aside your resentment towards me, I may be of some use to you regarding the Crime Syndicate. Would you reconsider my offer if I were to aid you with your mission?" Julia asked as she gazed up into Faye's large, inscrutable, emerald eyes. She could see this woman's trust would not come easily.   
  
Faye frowned as she mulled it over. Jet was *not* going to approve of another female 'bathroom hog' on his ship. However, bounty hunting *had* been tedious without Spike and their larders were bare. She returned Julia's gaze. "If you actually have skills that can help us, I will accept your offer... provided the price is right," she agreed shrewdly.   
  
Julia paid for her unfinished drink and the two woman left the Red Dog to disrupt Jet's comfortable lifestyle.   
  
  
To be continued.... 


	4. Finding Ed

Not For Bounty  
Author- Byakko Rei   
  
  
Chapter 4   
Finding Ed   
  
It took three *long* hours through the Hyperspace Gates to reach the Earth; en route, Julia shared the Neo Red Dragon plans on her microdisc with Jet and Faye. Her own ESB profile was listed as incomplete, and disappointingly, only two other males were filed as complete. One was a stodgy accountant from Mars named Tom Hayden, and the other was a stalwart shipyard worker from Ganymede called Jorge Pederson. Faye's resentment for Julia only deepened after the disc seemed to indicate Spike's demise was permanent.   
  
As the Bebop emerged through Earth's Gate, they were immediately hampered by meteoroids before they passed through the atmosphere. Once through, the Earth's ravished surface became visible... as well as a heart wrenching pain in Faye's eyes. Julia had little doubt the woman remembered a time spent on her home planet fifty years ago... before her cryonic sleep and the Hyperspace Gate accident.   
  
Before the Bebop could land, they were met by the sight of Red Dragon patrol ships and troops. Julia and Jet watched as Faye silently left them. Faye was going to deal with her pain in the best way she knew how: kick some enemy butt with her fully armed, modified military spaceship, Red Tail.   
  
Faye drew the enemy's fire in an all out aerial dog fight, so the unarmed fishing ship could get to Ed's co-ordinates. She was in her element now... already two of seven were history. She rolled out of the way of ground attackers and sprayed them with machine gun bullets as she passed over them. Her slower pursuer was gunned down instead. Heh.   
  
As Faye flew sideways between two toppled buildings, two of the bogeys broke off from a diamond formation to circle above the buildings and wait to see if the Red Tail would emerge from the rubble. The two other patrol ships followed her... too close to one another. The aircraft collided in a spectacular tangle of shrapnel.   
  
"Oops, single file ladies!" Faye exclaimed as the buildings began to collapse behind her from the explosion.   
  
Faye armed two missiles for the last remaining bogeys just prior to shooting out of a rapidly narrowing gap. Her ship had barely escaped being crushed; and her targets were now sitting ducks. "Sayonara... it's been fun!!" Faye laughed, not sticking around for the pyrotechnic display.   
  
Faye found the Bebop hidden in a deep crater near the co-ordinates Ed had supplied. It appeared to Faye that her comrades had been a two-person wrecking crew from the amount of blood spilt around the ship. Faye rejoined Jet and Julia near a huge pile of junk; they actually seemed relieved to see her.   
  
The three of them found and entered the underground tunnel system where the bunkers were located. When they neared the East Wing, they encountered a man using a laser torch to cut open deadbolts on bunker doors.   
  
The large man flipped up his visor and grinned. "Well if it ain't Jet Black and his Bebop Babe! I was ordered to find Spike's accomplices in these tunnels... and here you are. Nice of you to save me a boatload of trouble." Jorge Pederson gave Julia a once over. "You sure are a wimpy replacement for Spike, ain'tcha fella," he sneered as he took a swing at her.   
  
Julia ducked the swarthy man's fist while snatching the torch from his other hand and tossing it to Jet.   
  
Weaponless, Jorge drew a pistol from behind his back and levelled it at Faye's head.  
  
Faye rolled out of the way of Jorge's pistol shot and came up firing with her MP5 submachine gun. Jorge cartwheeled away from the bullet spray... and into the range of Julia's leg reach.   
  
Julia crushed his throat with a single, powerful, well-timed kick. The ESB's head whipped backwards with a sickening pop, then the dock worker crumpled lifelessly to the floor.   
  
A Gatherer arrived for him and they disappeared.   
  
Faye gave Julia a curious look, then smiled slowly. "All right then... let's go find Ed!" she exclaimed.   
  
Jet knocked on the left door fifth from the end and identified himself. The door slowly cracked open and Ed peeked out, cat-like.   
  
Ed then threw the door open and leapt excitedly around the three of them while Ein ran in dizzy circles barking. "Ed happy! See Faye-Faye, see Jet-Type person, see Man-Lady... Ein guard. Good Ein! Happy! Ed got food. Yummy food. Got Brussels sprouts for Faye-Faye," Ed babbled and plopped the can in front of Faye. "Got tuna for Jet-Type person!" Ed grinned as she handed a can to Jet. "Ed not know Man-Girl person... Ed give spinach!" the petite teen pronounced a bit dubiously as she continued to bounce energetically about them. Ein sat in front of Julia watching her every move.   
  
Faye went to the ration cabinets and flung open all of the doors. "FOOD!!" She grinned gleefully, filling every pocket available along with her arms. Everyone else face-faulted... then decided to follow her lead.   
  
"Ed want to go now. Soldier mans here. Ed not like. Break Ed's home and Papa," Ed declared.   
  
The food laden group headed cautiously for the Bebop and, other than Ein growling softly at Julia's heels, there were no further incidents.   
  
  
To be continued.... 


	5. Family

Chapter 5   
Family   
  
The Bebop headed for Mars at Julia's request and by the time they arrived at the port, Julia's patience with Faye had grown thinner. Faye was an indolent slob who helped herself to whatever pleased her. Faye, of course, insisted that Julia was a secretive, territorial, intolerant, neat freak who needed to loosen up. Jet trimmed his bonsai trees and largely ignored them, while Ed delighted in irking them into greater states of passion.   
  
After their ordeal on Earth, Faye had taken her shower first and had just put her under-garments on when someone rapped sharply at the door. "Who is it?" she asked knowing fully well who it was.   
  
"It's me," Julia answered. "May I come in, please?"   
  
Faye opened her door to a tall, sopping blonde clutching a towel around her chest. The goose bumpy woman quickly pushed past her and entered the room.   
  
"Hey! I didn't ask you to come in," Faye hollered.   
  
Ignoring Faye's outburst, Julia said evenly, "My shampoo bottle seems to be a little empty, Faye."   
  
"I forgot mine, and since you left yours, I used it. I didn't think you'd mind my using it... after all, it *was* practically empty, and I figured you'd bring another bottle..." Faye babbled. "Besides, it's not like you *have* any hair!" Faye pointed out spitefully, arms akimbo.   
  
Julia arched an eyebrow and answered patiently, "I haven't anymore, Faye. That was supposed to last through next week. May I borrow yours, please?" Julia requested as politely as she could.   
  
Ed walked in unannounced with Ein just as Faye threw her shampoo at Julia who caught it with her free hand. Ed danced idiotically around the two barely clad adults singing, "Faye-Faye loving Juuuulia, Julia loving Faye-Faaaaye!!"   
  
"OUT!" Faye shrieked, lunging for the giggling teen.   
  
Julia noticed that Ein still sat in front of them with a wide 'doggy grin' and his tongue lolling out. "What are you staring at, pervert? Beat it!" Julia pointed at the door emphatically.   
  
Ein licked his chops and a 'phhht' sound emanated from him before trotting off after Ed.   
  
"Phew! I think we just got 'dissed' by a stupid dog, Jules!" Faye choked out.   
  
"I despise *cough* smart-alecky dogs!" Julia sputtered.   
  
The two women eyed each other, then laughed.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A few minutes after Julia's shower, the Bebop's crew assembled around Jet's coffee table. The three adults pored over the floor plans of their enemy's lair and discussed tactics to eliminate the Red Dragon without the bloodshed of innocent townspeople. Each of them agreed, it wasn't about bounty anymore... it was about ending the tyranny of one of the most powerful crime syndicates.   
  
"So Jet," Julia said, "if you take the third floor and Faye the second, I will take the main floor. We can get to the air ducts unseen through here." Julia pointed at the power plant area. "Once in, we can place a plastique bomb on every vent grill...."   
  
Julia looked up in shock as another foul odor wafted from Ein's direction. "Argh, Jet! What did you feed that poor dog??" she gasped.   
  
Jet grinned sheepishly. "Um... chili. He loves my homemade chili," he said in a small voice as three pairs of beady eyes affixed on him.   
  
"Chili! You fed Ein CHILI??" came the chorused reply in consternation.   
  
"Eh... there's some left if anyone's hungry," Jet mentioned quickly.   
  
"No thanks," Julia deadpanned. "Let's finish up here! Does everyone agree to meet at O'Malley's Bar when we are done?" she inquired.   
  
Jet and Faye nodded.   
  
Faye spoke up, "I know where the Red Dragon's uniform distributor is. I can get us some IDs and some G3 assault rifles too... so we can be 'in character'," she added with some enthusiasm.   
  
Jet spared the weapons maniac a withering look.   
  
Julia addressed Jet. "If I obtain supplies for bombs from my contacts in the Inter Solar System Police, do you think you can make one hundred fifty of them, Jet?"   
  
Jet sweat-dropped. "Sure, but how are we going to set them off?"   
  
Julia replied tranquilly, "Ed is going to make a remotely activated ignition system that will detonate the bombs with a coded signal sent from Titan's Comsat. Right Ed?"   
  
"Ed make it workyyy!! Simple com-code!" Ed huffed as she chased Ein around the room and squealed, "Ein stiiiinky...!"   
  
"Ok then. Remember Ed, we will be using a Red Dragon patrol ship. Our code will be 'dark chocolate cordials', used in conversation for entry into Bebop's hangar. When we arrive at Mars, we send the signal," Julia concluded.   
  
Everybody stared at her.   
  
"Whaat! They're my favorites!" she defended indignantly.   
  
"Ed liking it, too! Ed sharing with Julia!" Ed cooed gleefully.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After the Bebop crew turned in for the night, Faye lay in her bed and pondered the events of the day... and Julia. The woman *was* an enigma she decided. She was a brilliant, fearless tactician. She possessed an inhuman ability to fight in hand-to-hand combat and was also a crack shot with twin Colt revolvers. Faye wondered why Julia had wanted *her* as a pilot when she could fly herself. She shuddered as one word seemed to stick in her mind. Inhuman.   
  
Unable to sleep, she got up and found herself outside the ESB's bedroom door. Her sensitive ears picked up the sounds of low, inarticulate moaning and thrashing about. Faye knew she shouldn't open Julia's door, but she was curious. What if Julia was moulting and mutating into something, she reasoned. Faye peeked in.   
  
The blonde lay in a sweat and her head jerked from side to side as she rambled senselessly; she looked delirious. Maybe she ought to fetch Jet... no, Julia was practically naked. It was up to her to bravely discern the woman's wellbeing.   
  
Faye swallowed nervously, then stepped inside the room. It only took a few moments of listening for her to realize that Julia had been tortured both mentally and physically by the Neo Red Dragon. She crept closer to the bed, the scar from her fatal bullet wound now readily visible. It dawned on Faye, then, that the bullet was probably meant for Spike and Julia had stepped in front of the shot to save him.   
  
Somewhat subdued, she placed a knee on the bed to balance herself, then extended a tentative hand to feel Julia's sweat beaded forehead. When Faye's palm made contact, Julia's arms unconsciously wrapped around her torso while murmuring, "I love you, Spike...."   
  
Faye blushed a crimson red as Julia pulled her closer and began to place gentle kisses upon her lips. Faye tried to extract herself, but the persistent agent held her tighter and whispered, "Don't go yet, Spike, we have a little time...."   
  
Then the blonde's tongue slipped past her tremulous lips. Having never been kissed by a woman before, it was at once the sweetest, most innocent, kiss Faye had ever received. Faye wondered briefly if she should bite the invading organ, but it was so... so... Faye's will power left her. She was trapped. Succumbing, Faye closed her eyes and decided to imagine Julia was Spike.   
  
Something was wrong with this dream. Julia's eyes popped open. Faye. She was kissing Faye... and Faye wasn't resisting. Julia closed her eyes again and began to enjoy herself. She didn't know what she had done to deserve the dark purple-haired woman's sudden... affection, but if she had earned it somehow, life was good!   
  
As Julia's kiss became more impassioned and a knee was rubbed against her center, Faye broke away forcefully, breathing hard. "Julia, wake up!" she hissed loudly. "You're having nightmares!"   
  
Julia grasped the hand that was poised to strike her. "I am awake and, no, I am not. Would you mind telling me why I was awakened from an erotic dream with Spike to find *you* in my arms?!" She voiced indignantly. "I could have just as easily killed you, Faye," she added reproachfully.   
  
Faye clenched her teeth and spat, "You. Are. Insufferable! I heard what sounded like delirium and thought you might have gotten sick from being hurt during your battles today... or something," she glared at the unflappable blonde. "Then you started kissing Spike... me!"   
  
Julia's eyes gleamed dangerously. "And I enjoyed it, too!" She caught Faye's fist once again. "I also noticed you didn't exactly pull away!"   
  
"I pretended you were Spike!" Faye defended herself hotly.   
  
Julia refrained from the mirth she felt and replied seriously, "Faye, it's all right to... need someone that way, but I know you didn't come to my room for... favors," Julia cleared her throat, "I'd be touched if you were actually concerned over my welfare; but I opt for the 'or something' you mentioned." She gazed into Faye's defiant green eyes. "You really came in here to find out if I fought to remain in human form, didn't you," she accused softly.   
  
Faye colored slightly and remained quiet in concession.   
  
"Well, just for the record, Faye," Julia went on, "I wonder everyday if I'm truly human! I don't know if, one day, I'll wake up and be a... monster." Julia turned her face towards the bulkhead. "I killed Jorge today because I wanted to see what would happen to him. I wanted to know if I would die as a human, or as something else...." she added emotionlessly.   
  
Faye sat still for a moment then replied in a monotone, "I never realized how deep your private hell was, Julia." Then slowly rising from the bed she confessed, "I shouldn't have come."  
  
Julia was bone-weary. Jet and she must have mowed down close to twenty men between the Bebop and Earth's underground tunnels. "It's all right, Faye, no harm was done," she responded tiredly.   
  
As Faye turned to leave, Julia lay still for a moment then propped herself up onto one elbow. "You are welcomed to stay the night, if you like..." then added softly, "You know, you don't have to run whenever you feel yourself getting close to someone, Faye. Do you remember when I gave you the ride in my car on Earth and asked if you wanted to be my partner? Well, I meant it. And I mean it now."   
  
Faye's temper flared, but only for an instant. Julia *knew* her. And she had, once again, accepted her the way she was and offered her an unconditional friendship. She gazed into the agent's worn-out, haunted blue eyes for a moment. Something stirred deep within her being. No more running....   
  
On impulse, Faye brushed her fingers through Julia's short carpet of soft blonde hair, then bent forward to draw sleep swollen lips into a grateful kiss. When they parted, Faye grinned mischievously. "For the record, Jules, I'll stay only because someone needs to keep an eye on you... to make sure you stay human!"   
  
"Get in and go to sleep!" Julia ordered.   
  
Faye lay down and heaved a huge sigh as her shoulder-length hair fanned out around the spare pillow. She closed her eyes and felt soft lips upon them as Morpheus claimed her.   
  
As Julia watched her partner sleep, a profound sense of belonging settled into her soul... it was different. She settled in close to Faye and was almost asleep when she heard a scratch at the door. She groaned, "Come in, Ed!"   
  
Ed stuck her head in guiltily.   
  
"Let me guess, you don't want to be alone tonight!" Julia smiled faintly.   
  
Ed nodded and curled up on the other side of Faye. "Ed missing Papa... but Ed think home can be here. Home with Julia, Faye-Faye... and Jet-Type person," the incorrigible genius murmured drowsily.   
  
Julia sighed. Ed was both intuitive *and* perceptive. She was also right... about a lot of things.   
  
Ein jumped onto the bed and wedged himself in between the two adults, causing the quilt to slide into the center of the bed. Julia felt an instant draft on her backside. When the exposed woman tried to adjust the blanket, Ein growled threateningly. Julia pointed at the door. "Out, pervert!" she commanded.   
  
The Corgi whined and wriggled forward on his belly to lick Julia's face, then he curled into a tight ball on top of *her* pillow.   
  
Julia gave up. "All right, you can stay... but if you fluff once, you're space fodder!"   
  
Ein opened a single baleful eye in acknowledgement, and upon seeing the blonde glaring meaningfully at him, promptly closed it.   
  
Julia then fell asleep with a satisfied smile on her face. Dreamless, at last.   
  
Jet went to check on Ed before turning in for the night and noticed that Julia's door was ajar. He meant to close it right away, but the sight of the overcrowded bed made him linger, instead, and elicited an idiotic grin. "Yep, just one big happy family." He fleetingly wished he could fit, too!   
  
End Part 1   
  
Mar. 18, 2002   
  
  
  
Many thanks to cheebs! for her grammar skills,  
  
http://www.fanficrevolution.org/  
The Fanfic Revolution  
  
and to Emporess for her character analysis.   
  
http://www.emporess-sama.net/  
Welcome to Candyland!  
  
Part 2 will be about Bebop's mission. Is Spike reeeally dead?   
  
Byakko Rei 


End file.
